Madam Yang hated Song Jin to the bone.
Two years ago, after Xiao Yanzhi passed the county-level imperial examination and became a xiucai scholar, Madam Yang had planned to marry one of her distant nieces into the family so she could continue controlling and tormenting him.
Who could have known that, with one moment of carelessness, Song Jin—the hunter’s daughter from neighboring Song Family Village—would scheme a “frightened ox” incident in the street and snatch the marriage first?
After Xiao Yanzhi and Song Jin ended up embracing in public, there was no way he could avoid taking responsibility.
On the day the two married, Madam Yang hated Song Jin so much she wished she could devour her flesh alive. Every waking moment, she plotted how to find opportunities to torment the couple.
Unfortunately, Song Jin seemed born to be her natural enemy. Whenever Madam Yang dared stir up trouble, Song Jin would have her natal family beat Madam Yang half to death.
The Song family came from a hunter background. Whether men or women, every one of them was fierce. Meanwhile, everyone in the old Xiao family was cowardly.
Most infuriating of all, Xiao Yanzhi himself was no pushover either. Backed by his status as a scholar, even Madam Yang had to think twice before trying to bully him.
Unable to defeat the couple, Madam Yang had bottled up this resentment for two whole years. How could she not hate them?
But today, she was no longer afraid of them.
This disaster had split open a massive chasm ten zhang wide across the road leading to Song Family Village, cutting Song Jin off from her natal family. On top of that, Xiao Yanzhi’s legs had been crushed and broken.
Now one was a little bitch without family support, while the other was a cripple who couldn’t walk. Wouldn’t they be completely at her mercy from now on?
“Mother, that little bitch just went over to the village chief’s place to listen to the announcements. Right now none of the men are around. Should we go snatch the food?” Xiao Jinlian asked, looking at the vicious expression on her mother’s face and already sensing she wouldn’t have to starve anymore.
After a month of fleeing famine, the old Xiao family—because there were so many people and everyone ate greedily without restraint—had finished all their dry rations in less than half a month and were forced to gnaw on bark and leaves.
Today was even worse. They didn’t even have leaves left to eat.
When Madam Yang said they were “eating dirt,” she wasn’t exaggerating.
The old Xiao family consisted of eleven people. Though there were four able-bodied laborers, aside from Xiao Dalang, the other three men were unwilling to go out searching for food. The food Xiao Dalang found alone simply wasn’t enough for the whole family, let alone enough to save any extra.
Today, Xiao Dalang hadn’t even managed to find leaves or water. All he brought back was Guanyin clay.
Eating a small amount of Guanyin clay wouldn’t starve a person to death immediately, but it caused severe constipation that could slowly kill someone alive.
Xiao Jinlian didn’t want to die from eating clay, but she also wanted food without having to work for it.
Madam Yang climbed to her feet, patted the dust off her clothes, and sneered.
“Call the third daughter-in-law and come with us. We’re definitely eating those sweet potatoes tonight! If that little bitch dares refuse, we’ll settle both old and new scores together!”
“Alright, I’ll go call Third Sister-in-law!” Xiao Jinlian hurried off excitedly.
The head of the old Xiao family, Xiao Fugui, had married two wives.
His first wife was Madam Zhou; his second wife was Madam Yang.
After Madam Zhou died, she left behind two sons: the eldest, Xiao Yinian, and the second son, Xiao Qinian—better known as Xiao Yanzhi.
One month after Madam Zhou’s death, Madam Yang entered the household and later gave birth to two sons and one daughter: Xiao Yongtai, Xiao Yongkang, and Xiao Jinlian.
The “third sister-in-law” Xiao Jinlian referred to was Madam Qian, the wife of Xiao Yongtai.
Madam Qian had originally been forcing her four-year-old son, Dabao, to eat Guanyin clay. But the moment she heard her sister-in-law say the second branch of the family had found wild vegetables and sweet potatoes, she immediately threw away the clay in her hand and even stomped on it in disgust.
“Son, we don’t have to eat dirt anymore! Mother’s taking you to eat big sweet potatoes!”
Madam Qian excitedly dragged Dabao along.
At that moment, the eldest son Xiao Yinian’s wife, Madam Xu, returned carrying firewood and happened to run into Madam Yang, Xiao Jinlian, Madam Qian, and Dabao marching off aggressively.
Frowning, she asked her two daughters, “Where is your grandmother going?”
Her eldest daughter, Ruyi, answered honestly, “Mother, I heard Auntie say Second Aunt found wild vegetables and sweet potatoes.”
Her younger daughter, Jixiang, nodded too.
“Third Aunt said she’s taking Dabao to eat sweet potatoes.”
Madam Xu’s expression changed drastically upon hearing this. She quickly instructed them:
“Ruyi, Jixiang, hurry and go find your father. Tell him to go to your second uncle’s place! I’ll go stop them first! Hurry!”
Ruyi was twelve and Jixiang ten. Children from poor families matured early, and Madam Xu had no doubt her daughters heard correctly.
“Yes, Mother! We’ll go right away!”
The two girls liked their second uncle’s family very much, so after hearing their mother’s instructions, they immediately ran off to find help.
Madam Xu dropped the firewood and hurried after Madam Yang to stop her.
Meanwhile, Jin, Mu, Shui, and Huo had no idea their sweet potatoes were being targeted.
After finishing the wild vegetable soup, Jinjin and Mumu worried the sweet potatoes might burn, so each grabbed a stick and started digging them out from the fire.
“Jinjin, Mumu, there are still two left! Over there, over there!” Huohuo had been drooling over them for ages. After counting carefully and realizing two were still buried, he pointed excitedly at a mound of ash.
“I’ll get them!” Mumu rushed forward enthusiastically.
“Be careful. Don’t burn yourselves,” Xiao Yanzhi warned anxiously.
Even though the children were already five years old, he still couldn’t stop worrying.
Fortunately, Mumu was clever enough not to burn himself and successfully dug out all six roasted sweet potatoes.
But just as he was about to hand one of them to Xiao Yanzhi, the sweet potato in his hands was suddenly snatched away by a chubby little hand.
The one who stole it was Dabao.
After grabbing the sweet potato, Dabao immediately bit into it, completely unconcerned about burning his mouth.
Not only that, but the other five sweet potatoes Huohuo had been staring at were also quickly seized by Madam Yang, Xiao Jinlian, and Madam Qian.
By the time Jin, Mu, Shui, and Huo reacted, four of the six sweet potatoes had already been eaten, while the remaining two were stuffed into Madam Yang and Madam Qian’s pockets.
For a brief moment, Mumu stared blankly at the three women and Dabao devouring the food like starving ghosts reborn. Then his eyes turned red, and he lunged at Madam Yang, opening his mouth to bite her.
“That’s our sweet potato! Ours! Give it back!”
Everything happened too quickly. So quickly that Xiao Yanzhi had no time to react.
By the time he did, he saw Mumu viciously bite Madam Yang’s hand. The next second, Madam Yang flung her arm out and slapped Mumu across the face.
Smack!
Mumu was sent flying from the blow, his tiny body crashing onto the ground.
Staring at him coldly, Madam Yang sneered:
“You little bastard without a mother’s upbringing! How dare you!”
“Mother, the sack!” Xiao Jinlian shouted through mouthfuls of food, pointing at the sack beside Xiao Yanzhi and urging Madam Yang to grab it too.
Ever since childhood, Xiao Jinlian had feared Xiao Yanzhi deeply. She would never dare snatch the sack herself.
But Madam Yang, as his stepmother, could act without restraint.
The Great Hao Empire governed through filial piety and revered the Three Bonds and Five Relationships. If Xiao Yanzhi didn’t want to gain the reputation of being unfilial and ruin his future career, he would never dare lay a hand on his stepmother.
As long as Madam Yang was shameless enough to seize it, that entire sack of food would become theirs.
Madam Yang thought the same way.
So after slapping Mumu aside, she lunged toward the sack.
Seeing the women not only steal their roasted sweet potatoes but also try to take their sack, Jinjin, Shuishui, and Huohuo immediately rushed forward and hugged Madam Yang’s legs. In desperation, Shuishui suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs:
“Help! Murder! Murder!”